Highway1 Cohort 10 & 11 To Be Held In China

Application Process Will Open in Spring 2018

San Francisco (January 4, 2018) – Highway1, the PCH hardware accelerator, announced today that it will host its next two classes (Fall 2018 and Spring 2019) in China. The application process (the tenth Highway1 cohort) will be open to startups worldwide in the Spring of 2018 and will accept up to 12 global companies for a four-month program in China. The Fall class will run from September 2018 – December 2018. The Spring Class will run from February 2019 – May 2019.

Highway1 will continue to target early- and later-stage hardware startups from around the world who focus on the consumer and B2B markets. Program benefits will include access to mentors and world-class industrial designers, investment up to $100,000, PCH engineering support, and business and investor pitch development. The program will provide additional services that more advanced startups require, including product development, manufacturing, fulfillment, distribution and inventory management. The Highway1 program will be based in the new PCH Innovation Hub in Shenzhen, China, that opened in 2017.

“We are seeing more and more later stage hardware companies applying to Highway1,” said VP Highway1 Kurt Dammermann. “Highway1 is evolving to best match the needs of the next generation of hardware startups and to provide manufacturing services to them at scale. The program will help lower the risks associated with getting to market.”

Liam Casey, CEO and Founder of PCH, added, “We are very excited to bring Highway1 to China where PCH has over 21 years of experience and expertise in manufacturing at scale. We will continue to look for visionary founders from around the world who are passionate about design, brand and the consumer experience and to help them find investors, make their products at scale and get them to global markets. We are excited not only to attract local entrepreneurs, but to bring startups from around the world to China.”

Eighty-three hardware startups from 13 countries have participated in Highway1 since its inception in 2013, working with seasoned mentors from a variety of disciplines, including engineering, industrial design, user experience, marketing, and business development, to bring real-world experience to early-stage entrepreneurs. Highway1 will continue to support the program’s global alumni base. “We are very committed to our alumni companies and will focus our resources on continuing to support them as they progress to market,” said Liam Casey.

More details about the 2018 program, including acceptance criteria, mentors, curriculum, location and timing of the application process, will be unveiled in March 2018 on the Highway1 website.

Apply to join Highway1

Highway1, a division ofPCH, is the premier hardware startup accelerator. We look for great hardware startups, with an exciting business idea and a compelling product. We help you develop products that deliver real value to customers, that are delightful to use and that can be manufactured at scale.